CSU pay rises to $2.6 billion, but cuts still loom

No. 1. CSU Chancellor Charles Reed ranked as the highest-paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $426,444 in total compensation. <b>Click on the photo to view the rest of the highest earners in the CSU system.</b> AP FILE PHOTO, TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The California State University system paid an additional $134.7 million in employee salaries last year, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year, according an Orange County Register analysis.

The system paid 57,969 employees about $2.6 billion in 2011. In the previous year, 57,163 employees earned about $2.4 billion.

But officials with the cash-strapped system said the difference is not due to pay raises, or through the significant creation of new jobs. Salaries increased for many employees after large-scale furloughs implemented in 2010 were not continued, officials said. Also, pay levels in 2011 were still lower than they were in 2009 – by $39 million – as the system continues dealing with the threat of ongoing state cuts.

"We've been operating under difficult circumstances," said Brian Jenkins, Cal State Fullerton's associate vice president of finance. "We have had to learn to work more efficiently, with our people continuing to do more with less."

Average pay for the system's 34,270 full-time employees in 2011 was $63,810. In 2010, 34,451 full-time employees earned $60,010.

The CSU chancellor and university presidents continue to rank as the top paid system employees – each earning well above $250,000 annually. Chancellor Charles Reed was the highest paid employee, earning $426,444 in total pay.

Pay has been frozen for many employees, including presidents and top administrators, since 2008. Since then, presidents have only received increases if they were appointed to other universities, where they took on additional duties, officials said.

Some presidents new to the system have also received more in pay than their predecessors, including new San Diego State President Elliot Hirshman, who received $100,000 more than the previous school president. Hirshman received $198,066 in pay in 2011, about half of his total compensation, because he took office halfway through the year.

Compensation for presidents includes base salaries, car allowances of up to $12,000, and housing allowances of up to $60,000 for those not provided university housing. Twelve presidents received housing allowances in 2011.

Earlier this year, State Sen. Leland Yee, a frequent critic of CSU executive pay, said the compensation details reported annually by the system are misleading. Yee said he has reviewed IRS records that show university presidents earn up to $515,000 annually. CSU officials, however, have disputed the accuracy of Yee's figures. The figures include non-monetary benefits like health insurance and retirement benefits, and some were erroneously calculated, CSU officials said.

About 5,200 employees received overtime pay totaling $12.4 million. Randy Banales, a police sergeant from Cal State Northridge earned the most, $61,461 in overtime pay on top of his $79,008 annual salary.

Other jobs that received the most overtime pay were electricians, therapists, dispatchers and officers. CSU officials said employees who received overtime often took on additional tasks because of staff reductions.

CSUF PAY

At Cal State Fullerton, 3,894 employees earned $179.2 million in total pay in 2011. In the previous year, 3,697 employees earned $163.7 million in total compensation. The campus ranked fifth in the CSU system for total pay in 2011.

No. 1. CSU Chancellor Charles Reed ranked as the highest-paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $426,444 in total compensation. Click on the photo to view the rest of the highest earners in the CSU system.AP FILE PHOTO, TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
No. 2. Cal State East Bay President Mohammad Qayoumi ranked as the second-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $417,880 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 3. Cal State Los Angeles President James Rosser ranked as the third-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $391,575 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 4. San Francisco State President Robert Corrigan ranked as the fourth-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $375,693 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 5. Cal State Sacramento President Alexander Gonzalez ranked as the fifth-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $370,048 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 6. Humboldt State President Rollin C. Richmond ranked as the sixth-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $362,918 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 7. Cal State Northridge President Jolene Koester ranked as the seventh-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $361,387 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 8. Sonoma State President Ruben Arminana ranked as the eighth-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $355,255 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 9. Cal State San Bernardino President Albert Karnig ranked as the ninth-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $355,048 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 10. Cal State Bakersfield President Horace Mitchell ranked as the 10th-highest paid CSU employee in 2011, earning $350,048 in total compensation. TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CSU COURTESY PHOTO
No. 20. Former Cal State Fullerton President Milton Gordon ranked 20th in total compensation in 2011, earning $311,944. PHOTO BY MINDY SCHAUER, TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
No. 21. Former Cal State Dominguez Hills and current Cal State Fullerton President Mildred Garcia ranked 21st in total compensation in 2011, earning $308,028. PHOTO BY CINDY YAMANAKA, TEXT BY FERMIN LEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.